My Dad's Surprise 60th Birthday Roast

I really did intend to get a post up on Saturday, but I got sick over the weekend. I was doing well to get from the sofa to the computer just to check email. I had a long list of things I wanted to get done over the weekend - including a haircut - and none of it was done. So I am still playing catch-up.

So anyway, about a year and a half ago my mom came up with the idea to have a surprise birthday party for my dad, who turned 60 in November. So for months we threw around ideas of what to do. When my mom went to their church to reserve the facility for the party, the preacher's wife suggested making it a roast. My mom knew a good idea when she heard one and we were on. The preacher was asked to be the emcee, their Bible study group was set to bring side dishes, and my mom was providing the meat.

My two sisters and I were each contributing 20 presents so that he would have a grand total of 60 presents to open on his 60th birthday. If you've ever wondered what 60 gifts looks like, here it is:
While the sons-in-law took my dad off for lunch and a movie, my sisters and mom decorated the church. My youngest sister, Sarah, decorated the cake.

My mom had spent several hours on a picture board filled with pictures of my dad, from baby pictures to pictures of him holding each of his 10 grandkids.

Can you guess who he's holding in this one? My mom had made us matching outfits.
My mom had led my dad to believe that the girls (meaning my sisters and me) were preparing a special dinner at the house as he had been given strict instructions not to come to the house until my mom called him. So when everyone had assembled, she called my dad to help her with something at the church before going to the house.

And in he walked.

After eating, their preacher started in on the official ceremony: the mourning ceremony for my dad's youth. :-) Their preacher was hilarious and utterly ruthless.
In between speakers, my dad opened a few of his gifts. These are tassels for his bicycle (my dad is a serious bicycle rider, logging in hundreds of miles a year).
Here are Kelly and I saying something extremely witty and funny.
My mom told about the night they met on a blind date and how my dad drove off from the drive-in movie theater spot with the speaker still hooked to the window of the car.
I'll post more later, as this post is already very long. But it was a great evening. My sides hurt from laughing by the time it was over. Love you, Daddy!